How do you get your chicks to grow up to be lap chickens?!

[Janeothejungle]

When raising my chicks, I don’t hold them or pet them at first. Instead I hang around them and let them come to me. I’ll put my hand in their brooder with treats first and let them come onto my hand and get more comfortable with me. Eventually I’ll just put my hand in the brooder without treats and let them come up onto my hand on their own and then I’ll lift my hand up with them in it (not grasping onto them). I’ll also let them out for a bit and let them crawl on me like I’m their jungle gym lol. This makes them comfortable with going on your lap. In this photo I still didn’t really start holding or petting the chicks much, yet they felt comfortable with me. It was summer here so I had them in a separate area in the run away from the hens that I could sit in. I started picking up the chicks and petting them when they became 100% comfortable with me. I slowly started to pet them when they’d come sit on me. I only pick them up from the front and not from above. Picking up the chicks from above scares them. Working slowly like this has made them the absolute sweetest hens who love being carried, pet, and who love to just hang out on my lap. They became especially affectionate when they got to laying age.
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Zoe, who I raised this way, just jumped into my hand on her own and sat there lol.
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This is EXACTLY how we do it, too! No forcing or grabbing chicks just lots of hanging out and treats for seeking us out.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

I never encourage them but there is always the "one" who has to chk my coffee mug, then it turns into chicken see chicken do.

 

[mcdze]

i was never real interested in them being lap chickens, but dont like them afraid of everything ... chickens have extremely good memory, just never scare them or be short with them and theyll be pets more or less .. the more time you spend the more used to you they get .. one factor i learned recently is a 'single' chick by itself will actually bond with you, or your hand especially .. makes it easy, but it may get weird haha ..

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Update of my chicks today doing great love cuddling and jumping on my hand!

 

[Farmgirl283420]

I will try to get better pictures this was taken after I was cuddling with them!!!

 

[AmyA248]

Oh no ours are warming up wonderfully they already jump up on me by choice and it’s only been three days so I’m not worried I’m so sorry do you play with them we have a tarp and I take them all out let them run around all though they mostly cuddle on me!! How do you pick them up and what do you do when you hold them?

Hi!

We play with them all the time.
We have a large kitchen and that’s where their brooder box is, so they see and hear us all the time.
We also have a playpen and we sit in it and let them come to us and they are quiet friendly when they are out of their box.
We pick them up carefully and slowly with both hands.
I’m a Clinical Psychologist and I work from home on TeleHealth, so I’m always here. My daughter gets home at 3:00 and she pays attention to them non stop.
She’s very gentle and loving.and I’ve taught her exactly how to handle them under my supervision.
To change the subject is it normal that they are trying to fly so young?? They get to the top of their box already and sit on the rope for their their hanging toys!! Lol!

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Mine are two weeks and are flying nonstop so I would say yes it’s normal!!!! There big birds two calico Cochins and one frizzle Cochin so it’s funny because they won’t be able to fly when their older

 

[BantammChick]

So I raised six girls last year all are lap chickens and I just got three chicks who are two weeks old at first they were very scared of my hand when I put it in the brooder and so on after a few days of hanging out with them they eat from my hand aren’t scared of it and when I take them out cuddle with me perch on me everywhere and hang out with me I’m super happy with how they are starting to like me but any advice will be helpful!!!

Just keep up what you're doing! 2 summers ago I got a little group of chickens - I think there was nine - and I spent some time every day giving them treats, holding them and just hanging out with them, and now they're still friendly!

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Just keep up what you're doing! 2 summers ago I got a little group of chickens - I think there was nine - and I spent some time every day giving them treats, holding them and just hanging out with them, and now they're still friendly!

Thank you today they are hopping on my hand and using it to make their siblings jealous at them being higher!!! They are so sweet and funny I love them!!!

 

[tripsand1]

So I raised six girls last year all are lap chickens and I just got three chicks who are two weeks old at first they were very scared of my hand when I put it in the brooder and so on after a few days of hanging out with them they eat from my hand aren’t scared of it and when I take them out cuddle with me perch on me everywhere and hang out with me I’m super happy with how they are starting to like me but any advice will be helpful!!!

We have had chickens often on for a long time all of which are lap chickens. None of them really start getting like that until they're older. Just go out and hang with them every day. Set up a chair or something to sit out with them. Eventually they'll just start flying up on your lap.